January 4, 2016

Seeking Love by J.M. Maurer

Blurb:

Every day, Jessica Winters does what she does best—bury herself in patient care within the walls of the neuro intensive care unit, keeping herself busy to escape the dark sadness that controls her life. But the day she sees Matthew Moi, the intriguing man seated at her new patient’s bedside, her shattered heart begins to frantically beat once again.

As Matthew pins his mesmerizing gaze upon her, trying to distract her with his humorous and playful banter, she does her best to ignore him. Somehow he already knows a great deal about her, breaking down Jessica’s barriers and awakening her soul, drawing her out of the darkness and into his arms.

When her painful past resurfaces, revealing truths that threaten her future, Jessica struggles through her issues and fights to stay on a healing path . . . seeking love.

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Excerpt:

One thing I knew: I wasn’t that woman anymore. I wouldn’t be her anymore.

My heart was racing at the thought of being separated from Matthew by only the door, and I watched as it opened, knowing he stood mere feet away. I drew in a deep breath to calm my frantic nerves and steady my racing heart. It was the moment my eyes would see him again, and the same moment I knew all involuntary muscle movements would cease.

As Matthew stepped in and around the door, his alluring eyes captured me. The feeling was nothing new. I’d been imprisoned by his gaze before. And locked in it again, I watched as he drifted to me, the indisputable chemistry between us palpable and absolute. His mesmerizing eyes had hypnotized my burning soul, completely bewitching me.

“Hello, Jessica,” he murmured, pointing to an open area of the bed. “Mind if I sit?”

I gave a slight shake of my head, having difficulty forming the simple word “no,” and watched as he made himself comfortable facing me. His crisp charcoal-colored trousers bunched as he scooted on the bed. My sight roamed along his classic plum-colored dress shirt and stopped searching once I focused on his face.

JM Maurer lives with her family in Chicago. She makes it a point to never work on a full moon and cringes when a coworker uses the “Q” word—never, ever say, “It’s a quiet day today," at her day job.

Known for being overly superstitious, she can usually be found scraping at the remnants of a Nutella container, screaming at a hockey game, or putting pen to paper, allowing the “real” crazy voices in her head to come alive. And after all this, it’s no wonder she’s an incurable romantic and loves escaping the rat race of life to immerse herself inside the world of a really good romance book . . . because, after all, what’s better than a happily-ever-after?

Review:
“Seeking Love was a poignant and beautifully written love story about Jessica, a woman suffering from depression after some horrific personal experiences, and Matthew, the man secretly in love with her.

There were tons of magical moments between them, and the one-liners had me sighing or laughing out loud as fast as they came. The tension kept the story moving forward, and as their journey continued, there was enough mystery to make you go "Ahhh, so that's why that happened!" Matt's strength was the perfect foil for Jessica's weaknesses, and it became a lodestone of sorts, pulling her away from her darkness. But with any magnet, there has to be some metal in the object for it to attract to it, and Jessica's hidden inner strength was that metal. Her depression had taken over her life, painting her surroundings as only those who have suffered with it can tell you.

Despite her struggles, there was a theme of hope throughout which kept the story moving forward. It was a very real and captivating story with steamy, well-written love scenes. It's one of those reads you get lost in for hours and don't even realize it!